Ri Ul-sol (; 14 September 1921 – 7 November 2015) was a North Korean politician and military official. He played an important role in the administrations of

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

and

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...

, achieving the rank of

marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

. He was responsible for the safety of top North Korean leaders and their families as Commander of the Guard.

Early life and education

Ri Ul-sol was born in 1921 in

Songjin Kimch'aek (), formerly Sŏngjin (Chosŏn'gŭl: 성진, Hancha: 城津), is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It was an open port in 1899. It has a population of 207,699. Etymology The city received its current name in 1951 during ...

North Hamgyong Province North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province. Geography The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, S ...

. He may have been trained at the Okeanskaya Field School in

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...

or in the RKKA Military Academy in

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...

, both in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Military career

In the late 1930s, Ri was a soldier in

's United Army, which was a partisan unit. He fought for Korea's independence from Japan alongside Kim Il Sung in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Ri served in the 88th Sniper Brigade with Kim Il Sung,

Kim Chol-man Kim Chol-man (; 2 November 1920 – 3 December 2018) was a North Korean politician and military official. He was a member of several important committees and organizations, including the 6th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of K ...

and other first-generation North Korean politicians. During the outbreak of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, Ri Ul-sol was responsible for the care of

and

Kim Kyong-hui Kim Kyong-hui (; born 30 May 1946) is the aunt of current North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. She is the daughter of the founding North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and the sister of the late leader Kim Jong Il. She currently serves as Secretary f ...

, the children of

. It is said that Ri assumed the position of surrogate father to Kim Jong Il, the future North Korean leader. He was promoted through the North Korean military system, earning the following ranks: He was one of only a handful to have been promoted to the rank of Marshal, the second highest North Korean military rank. (The others are or were Kim Jong Il,

O Jin-u O Jin-u (; March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He was a close associate of Kim Il Sung. O served under Kim in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and then as commander of Kim's bodyguard. He was a ...

Choe Kwang Marshal Choe Kwang (; July 17, 1918 – February 21, 1997) was a military leader in North Korea. Biography Kwang graduated from the Soviet Military School and was a captain in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army until the end of the Japanese occ ...

Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...

Kim Yong-chun Kim Yong-chun (4 March 1936 – 16 August 2018) was a North Korean soldier and politician. He was a leader of the North Korean military. He held the North Korean military rank Chasu (Vice Marshal), was Vice Chairman of the National Defense Com ...

Hyon Chol-hae Hyon Chol-hae (; 13 August 1934 – 19 May 2022) was a North Korean military officer and politician who was closely tied to the ruling Kim family. He served as Kim Il Sung's bodyguard during the Korean War and reported directly to Kim Jong Il ...

Ri Pyong-chol Ri Pyong-chol (, born 1948) is a North Korean military official and formerly a top advisor of supreme leader Kim Jong Un, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Work ...

and Pak Jong-chon). His full title was Marshal of the Korean People's Army. In his other major position, Commander of the Guard (1996–2003), he was responsible for guarding the top North Korean officials, including Kim Jong Il and his family. The Guard Command is one of the few military positions which show little turnover, as Ri managed to hold onto his position from 1984 to 2003. Furthermore, Ri Ul-sol became a member of the

Central Military Commission Central Military Commission may refer to: *Central Military Commission (China), the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China. *Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the highest body in Vietnam ...

of the WPK in October 1980, and a member of the National Defence Commission in May 1990.

Political career

Ri was a deputy delegate to the 3rd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Supreme People's Assemblies. In the 10th SPA, he represented Electoral District 583, and in the 12th SPA, he represented Electoral District 1. He was also a member of the

Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is the Central committee, highest organ between National meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea, national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. Accor ...

in November 1970. He was part of the Funeral Committees for both Kim Il Sung and O Jin-u. The funeral committees are often seen as an indicator of ''de facto'' power. Politically, Ri Ul-sol was one of the last surviving members of the first generation of North Korean leadership. He was seen as an ultraconservative. He retired from most of his positions in 2003 during a reshuffle and was subsequently not considered to be a major player in North Korean politics.

Awards

Ri Ul-sol was the recipient of various awards, including the

Order of Kim Il Sung The Order of Kim Il Sung () is the highest order of North Korea, along with the Order of Kim Jong Il, and only second to one honorary title, the Hero of Labour. The order, named after the country's first leader Kim Il Sung, was instituted in ...

Hero of Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievements in Soviet ...

and

Order of the National Flag The Order of the National Flag () is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il Sung and the Order of Kim Jong Il. It is the oldest order in the country, having been established in 1948, just six weeks after the No ...

(1st class). He was twice awarded the title of the Hero of the DPRK.

Death

Ri Ul-sol died of lung cancer on 7 November 2015. His funeral committee consisted of 169 members, with

as chairman.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ri, Ul-sol 1921 births Workers' Party of Korea politicians North Korean generals North Korean military personnel of the Korean War Marshals Korean resistance members Korean revolutionaries People from Chongjin 2015 deaths Heroes of the Republic (North Korea) People of 88th Separate Rifle Brigade